Lathika Subhash, the former president of Kerala’s Congress women’s wing would be contesting from the Ettumanoor assembly constituency, Kottayam, as an independent candidate in the upcoming Kerala election 2021. She will be contesting under an election symbol of autorickshaw. She is known for her protests against the inadequate representation of women in Kerala politics.

Elaborating on her reason to not join any party for the election, Lathika stated, “I am not going to any other party for the upcoming Assembly election because I was a Congress worker. How can I go to another party?”

Placing forward her candidature as an independent candidate, she stated that people from every caste and religion can vote her as she is a candidate with immense freedom.

On March 14, she had her head tonsured in front of the Congress office in Thiruvananthapuram after being denied the party ticket for the elections.

Placing her views on her activism, she stated, “Not only for women in politics but in all walks of life. Women are saying they will vote for me because I raised my voice for the cause of women. So, I am confident they will give me their votes. And youngsters too are promoting me. So, I am confident, I will win.”

She further added, “My protest was against those people who crumbled the womenfolk in all walks of life. Not only the Congress party or CPI(M) or BJP, but every political party. It was for a noble cause, not for my seat. This time, Kerala Students Union (KSU) President got a ticket to contest, Youth Congress President also is going to become the MLA for the third time”.

Kerala will see the Left Democratic Front (LDF), which is led by the Communist Party of India(Marxist) or CPI(M), cross paths with the United Democratic Front (UDF) led by Congress. These coalitions have held power in the southern state alternately over the last four decades. The LDF had won the 2016 Kerala assembly election as it won 91 out of 140 seats. Kerala would go to polls on April 06 & the vote counting would take place on May 02.